The carriage wheel clattered over the stone road, the sound was rhythmic but almost dull in the quiet night. Vivan leaned against the cushioned seat as his head turned toward window.
Novarim at night was nothing like the ruins or the jungle he had walked through. Lanterns hung from the iron hooks as their light reflected on the street.
Tips of tall towers in the distance was shining through the moon light as if they were dipped in silver.
It was peaceful but that did not stop his mind rolling back to Borin's reaction on the pendant or Roswyn's voice when she spoke of the dark guild.
The deep line of thinking got interrupted with a sarcastic voice.
"You look like you are figuring out how to kill someone without leaving the seat." – Samuel smirked but his eyes were observant.
Vivan returned the smirk back.
"Nah! Just wondering what kind of place I'm walking into. "
Samuel leaned back as his finger tapped in window frame.
"A place that looks nice from here but it got plenty of cracks hidden from normal view until you are standing in them."
"That's really patriotic from a soldier." – Vivan returned the earlier sarcasm.
Samuel laughed hard.
"I'm just sharing my own experience with my life savior."
They passed under a tall stone arch, blue mage-lamps were set along the curve. Something flickered above suddenly that caught a glimpse of their attention. A shape moved fast along the rooftops.
Vivan turned his gaze, eyes narrowing, but it was gone by the time the carriage rolled forward.
"Did you see that?"- Samuel asked as his observant eyes followed the dark rooftops for further movement.
"Just a shadow." – Vivan replied as his cautious eyes narrowed even further.
But nothing was observed. Only the dark shadows of the buildings loomed across the street under the moon light.
Vivan sat back but he kept watching the dark corners until the castle wall came into view.
The carriage slowed.
The rhythmic sound of hooves echoed between tall white walls. Two heavy iron gates swung open as the courtyard beyond them lit by mage-lamps that gave the pale stone a golden glow.
A tall man in green robe trimmed with gold was waiting. His hair was neat, his face lined not with age but with a lifetime of thinking too much.
He bowed and said, "Welcome to Novarim Castle. I am minister of affairs Veldrick Hollowart. His majesty has been expecting you."
Samuel gave a polite nod while Vivan managed something between a nod and bow.
"This way" Holloway said and started walking toward the castle inside.
They followed him through a hall of polished stone and long red carpets. Portraits lined the walls; each figure was wearing the crown of their own era.
The air here smelled faintly of wax and something floral.
They came to a tall set of double doors that looked like they were made to keep secrets inside. Two guards were stationed by that gate and as Hollowart reached them, a deep voice rang out inside.
"His majesty, King Arathen Percival Novarim III, is entering the court."
The doors swung open as the throne room revealed itself under high chandeliers and mage lamps. At the far end, the king walked in as his crown was glinting under the light.
His steps were steady and unhurried. Beside him came the queen, Serenya Wolfred Novarim as her velvet silk gown was softly brushing over the floor.
Samuel bowed low and Vivan followed, though his bow was a touch a bit slow.
The king's voice echoed across the walls.
"Welcome to my court, Adventurer. You have shown a great amount of courage to protect this nation's future."
From the side door a child stepped forward holding the hand of a young woman in a red flowing gown.
Her silver hair was shining under the chandelier as if stars have sprayed color on her hair; eyes were sipped in eternal blue so deep that any man will drown.
Vivan looked at the third prince as the child returned a thankful gaze back.
"I have only done what anybody would have done in that situation your majesty."
That drew the faintest smile from the queen.
"We appreciate those who act with intent rather than noise" she said.
The young woman bowed with a grateful gesture.
"Thank you for saving my little brother brave warrior."
A murmur rose among the soldiers lined up before the throne.
"First the princess goes missing 5 years ago, now the third prince. What is going on in Novarim? "
King raised a hand.
"It is not the time to mourn the past. It is time to celebrate this young adventurer's bravery."
And with that a great royal banquet got arranged in Vivan's honor after king Arathen rewarded a royal brooch to Vivan as a symbol of trust.
The grand feast was so heavy Vivan could barely walk. The night wind got stronger as the stars above were enjoying Vivan's glory.
After dinner he stepped in to the flower garden to enjoy the view as the return carriage was being prepared.
A soft voice from behind interrupted Vivan's quite thoughts of the beautiful garden.
"This garden is maintained by my mother herself."
Vivan turned his gaze to find the second princess standing behind him. He bowed once again but the princess responded with a warm smile.
"You don't need to maintain that courtesy between us." Her soft fingers grazed Vivan's cheek bone.
A blush bloomed in his face.
"It is my honor princess."
"The name is Elara. Elara Sylven Novarim." she smiled. Then the soft graze of fingers turned into a warm embrace as a distant kiss touched his cheek.
"I am GhostWalker." – he replied like a stiff.
Elara giggled.
"Well! GhostWalker consider that a reward for saving Kaelric."
The moment loomed as if the time paused itself. A warm, tingly sensation blew across his spine.
Elara continued.
"After my elder sister's tragedy, if we would have lost Kaelric also it would have broken father."
Vivan got his composure back as he asked.
"What happened?"
A sad expression covered Elara's face as she explained how the first princess got abducted by the dark guild 5 years ago and nobody ever found her since then.
"It really breaks my heart to remember that moment." A tear drop glided over her blushed cheek.
Vivan almost fell in deep thought about the dark guild again but…
[System Chime]
Morality implication detected
And that's when it happened.
The wind shifted, carrying the faint rustle of leaves on its back.
Before Vivan's eyes could follow a shadow leapt from the castle wall bordering the garden. The jump was high enough to break a leg for most men but the shadow's fall was silent.
Then it landed on a crouch flaring its cloak like dark wings in the wind before settling around her and purple flash blinked from her steps.
Two shiny daggers rushed at them with tremendous speed. Vivan stood before Elara.
"Get back!"
He barely parried the attack by equipping his sword just in nick of time. But his balance fell apart from its strength. Then strikes after strikes followed him.
He dodged some of them while the other grazed his skin, not deep. Blood started to came out of the shallow wounds.
[System chime]
Combat threat level: Severe Possibility to death: 96% Activating mental multipliers Override activation recommended
Vivan's parries got sharper and faster due to multipliers kicking in. Two flashes of blue and purple danced through the beautiful garden, each clash sending sparks falling between them.
Vivan HP started dropping rapidly and the attacker was being damaged at a high rate simultaneously.
A twin strike from the silver dagger barely missed Vivan allowing him the last criteria to be activated as his HP fell below 65%.
"OVERRIDE!!!"
The blue flash of his steps got converted into pure blue lightning engulfing his whole body slowly.
Vibrant blue sparks of lightning cracking from his body as the ground below cracked through their madness.
"Battle Vision!"
"Wind Walker!"
"Resolve of the death!"
The attacker got startled as a lightning fast strike blew past her face without touching her. The wind gust due to that flashy strike dropped the hood from the shadow's face.
Long strands of silver shined under starlit sky as a blue eyed young woman revealed her gorgeous face glowing in silver.
She could not follow his movement by her eyes.
But Vivan only have 20 seconds, so he attacked back.
"I missed on purpose as you were doing the same earlier. But this time it is the end."
A clean vertical mana strike stopped just before her face as Vivan felt zero willingness to fight from the silver hair girl.
Her sea green eyes were as calm as a saint.
Vivan stood like a stone while walked across him, whispering in his ear.
"The one you tried to protect left you to save herself. That is the reality of this country. Beware of its politics adventurer."
Then she was gone. A step in the shadows of the long wall and the wind swallowed her.
Vivan's breath came hard. His eyes scanned the flower garden but there was no sign of Elara anywhere.
[System Chime]
- +50 empathy for sparing your enemy.
Then some rustled footstep echoed from the castle towards the garden. Samuel came rushing with some royal guards, his breath was restless.
King Arathen arrived following the guards and Samuel. His sword slid free from the scabbard, the golden lion-shaped hilt catching the moonlight. The shine ran along the length of the blade.
Elara called out from the castle hall, her voice cutting through the night.
"Father She was here. She attacked me."
That's the first time Vivan saw the kind king's gaze to turn to a mad beast's agony.
"That damned rogue child."
A roar came out of his voice as the whole flower garden vibrated.
But once that cruel gaze remembered there is a guest in front, it regained the natural composure slowly.
Then King Arathen gave some whispered instructions to Samuel. But Samuel's eyes were different hearing the order.
Those eyes made Vivan remember what Samuel warned during their arrival.
"A place that looks nice from here but it got plenty of cracks hidden from normal view until you are standing in them." – echoed through his mind.
As the royal enforcement slowly moved back to the castle hall Vivan looked back at the messed up flower garden.
The scent of battle was still lurking in the air.
But the flower garden looked beautiful under the silver moon above as if a peaceful note of a broken poem still lingering in the poet's mind.
Then, at the far edge of the garden where the lamplight faded into darkness, something shifted in a deliberate, calculated movement.
The shape slid between the shadows and for an instant a green robed silhouette was visible.
But by the time Vivan reached the place where it stood, the shadow was already gone.
Somewhere deep in his mind the system's quiet hum pulsed like a warning.
….To be continued